Bizarro McCain

I’ve got an actual story up about the McCain/Romney spat. The two campaigns have the most quickly birthed feud in modern politics, I look forward to following it:

Indeed one thing both McCain and Romney staffers agree on: The aside and the two camp’s reactions to it highlight the fundamental differences between the campaigns — and the character of the candidates. In an e-mail, Romney spokeman Madden even put it in chart form:

Them: Angry, lacking composure

Ours: Poised, composed, making the case on the substantive disagreement that [the Governor] has with this particular approach on the immigration issue.

Romney is, in many ways, the anti-McCain. Polished where McCain is rough, smiling where McCain grimaces, very, very tan where as McCain is pale. Romney’s successes have come in large part due to a smooth manner and a gentle way with words; McCain has succeeded in politics despite lacking those skills.

Today was Official McCain-Romney Feud Story Day, of course, with articles appearing in the Politico, the Times, and a McCain v The World story in the Post. Pop pyschologists might want to consider why it is the two men seemed to have taken an instant dislike to each other. To the extent that the affable Mormon dislikes anyone. I think he’s too tan to really hold a grudge.

UPDATE: Speaking of too tan to hold a grudge, this is an uncharacteristically menacing picture of Kevin “the Sixth Son” Madden lurking in the background of a Romney photo op. It has little to do with the story except that it makes me feel like I’m going to have to watch my back for a while: